Construction of Chilime-Trishuli 220 kV transmission line reaches final stage

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 9: The construction of the Chilime-Trishuli 220 kV transmission line has reached its final stage.

The construction of the transmission line was started to transmit the electricity generated from the hydroelectric projects under construction and to be built on the Trishuli River and its tributaries, into the national grid.

The final phase of construction of 28 km transmission line from Chilime Hub Substation located in Thambuchet, Aamachhodingmo Rural Municipality of Rasuwa to Trishuli 3B Hub Substation located in Pahirebensi of Kispang Rural Municipality of Nuwakot is underway, according to the Nepal Electricity Authority.

The construction of the remaining works of the transmission line is in full swing aiming to bring it into full operation before the Dashain festival. 

As part of the Chilime-Trishuli 220 kV transmission line project, the construction of 220/132/33 kV Chilime Hub and Trishuli 3B Hub substations have been completed.

Out of the 76 towers on the transmission line, 75 have been completed and connection work of one tower is in final stage, said the NEA. 

Out of the 28 km transmission line, only five km stretch is left to be laid. About 200 workers are employed to complete the remaining works of the project.

High level officials of NEA, including Managing Director Kul Man Ghising, inspected the transmission line construction work on Saturday and set a deadline to complete the work before Dashain.

After discussions between the project management, consultants and contractor companies, the team has been asked not to delay the construction work, and to speed up the work by adding more workers. 

The electricity of 111 megawatt Rasuwagadhi and 42.5 megawatt Sanjen hydropower projects built under the leadership of Chilime Hydropower Company will be connected to this transmission line. 

Both projects are in the stage of power generation. Because of this, the Authority is under pressure to complete the construction of the transmission line as soon as possible.

Ghising said that the transmission line under construction in the geographically dangerous and difficult Himalayan region has now been completed after continuous efforts.

"Due to the failure of this line, the two hydropower projects are unable to start generating electricity. The construction of the line has reached its final stage despite the difficult geographical conditions. Let us all make the last effort to complete the rest of the work and complete the construction before Dashain," Ghising said.

The transmission line has been constructed in an area ranging from 680 to 2,600 metres above sea level. A total of 33 towers had to be built in places where there was no access road. A separate access road has been constructed to reach the place. 

"The project has built more than 20 kilometers of access roads for the construction of the line," said the NEA. 

Nine towers have been built by transporting construction materials and equipment from mules and people and two towers have been built by transporting construction materials by helicopter.

Under the transmission line, 20-km double-circuit Chilime-Mailung section and 8-km four (multi)-circuit line up to Mailung-Trishuli 3B hub have been constructed.

Under the leadership of Korean companies, a multi-circuit line is going to be constructed to connect the power supply of the 216 MW Upper Trishuli-1 hydroelectric project. 

Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Company will bear 60 per cent of the cost of constructing the multi-circuit line.

A contract was signed with the Chinese company Pinggao Group of Companies, China in November 2017 for the construction of transmission lines and substations. The contract agreement was implemented in December 2016.